12 minute read

Journeys of the World 8

THE GREAT MIGRATION SAFARI - BIRTHING SEASON

9th to 20th February 2023 Cost AU$16,979 per person sharing

– all inclusive (see below) “We believe exclusivity is the last true luxury in travel and this is what we strive to give you.”

WILDLIFE EXPLORER, TANZANIA

With a maximum group size of 12, in our own exclusive luxury camps in Tarangire National park and in the Serengeti – this is a very special safari. Sean Lues will be accompanying this trip, passionate and with over twenty years of experience as a safari guide, he will help make this trip a journey to remember forever. We spend three days in the baobab-strewn Tarangire National Park – a haven for wildlife, plus the opportunity for a night drive and a walk in the bush. We will spend a full day in the incredible Ngorongoro crater, visit a Maasai boma and pass through the Oldupai Gorge and its museum, showcasing the findings of early mankind. We finish up on a massive high in the Serengeti to witness the incredible phenomenon of the Great Migration, when the million plus wildebeest and zebra pause for a while on the short grass plains for the birthing period. During this period hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves and zebra foals join the herds over a three to four week time span. Olerai, Arusha. Resting at the foot of Mount Meru, the sprawling city of Arusha is known as the safari capital of northern Tanzania and is where we spend our first night.

OSUNYAI WILDERNESS CAMP, TARANGIRE

Osunyai Wilderness Camp, our exclusive Camp set on

the edge of the wilderness zone, is situated close to the Silale wetland – prime elephant & buffalo habitat and in the heart of big game country. The camp is set beneath mature acacia trees facing the rising sun. The baobab-strewn Tarangire is a haven for wildlife and has an extremely rich game viewing potential: large herds of elephants can be seen, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons. Osunyai and nearby Silale are fantastic habitats to view predators and prey in an unsurpassed setting. Close liaison with our driver-guide will ensure the choice of daily activities match our mood and pace. A wide range of wildlife and nature activities are offered : in addition to the traditional Game drives, there are Game walks accompanied by our own armed walking guide. A night game drive will be arranged, as well as a Masai cultural experience ( ‘Olpul’ and medicine walk). A morning game drive out of the park to Plantation Lodge – set in a working farm and on a high bluff, the lodge is very comfortable, elegant and personable – one of the best addresses in Northern Tanzania. This will be our base for two nights as we make a very early start for our full day trip into the Ngorongoro Crater. Abounding with lion, buffalo and many other species, including rhino and elephant, this is a day not to be forgotten. Standing at 2236m above sea level, Ngorongoro is the largest unbroken caldera in the world and is surrounded by very steep walls rising 610m from the crater floor. Covering an area of 259 square kms, it is considered to be one of the Wonders of the Natural World and is a veritable haven for wildlife.

DULANA, SERENGETI

Depart for the Serengeti Plains – game drive and picnic lunch on the way. A stop at Olduvai can be arranged, one of the most important paleoanthropological localities in the world. Gaze over the stark Oldupai Gorge, from where Louis and Mary Leakey had their research centre and currently houses a fascinating museum. The days of heavy canvas hunting camps set for the likes of Roosevelt and Hemingway were almost over until photographic safaris gained popularity. The luxury mobile tented camps are tasteful, extremely comfortable, and above all mobile, allowing freedom to follow the movements of the great migratory herds. The tents, which have been custom designed, offer the very highest level of comfort and mobility. Dulana sits on the edge of ‘Hidden Valley’ a little-known depression on the southern plains of the Serengeti, on the edge of the off-road driving area, allowing immediate access onto the short grass plains, where Cheetah are abundant and Lion prides establish territory close to camp and the surrounding woodland. The camp takes advantage of the uninterrupted views across the shallow valley, where different species of game can be spotted from the comfort of the accommodation tents.

OUR FINAL DAY TOGETHER

Spend two nights in Arusha prior to the safari and a night in Arusha on the way back. This allows time for some local exploration and shopping – anything from exquisite Tanzanite jewellery to local materials. Africa is very much worth a longer stay! So why not extend your journey with an endless array of options to suit you. Off the coast of Tanzania are the Spice Islands of Zanzibar; gorillas and chimpanzees abound in neighbouring countries and relatively close by are must-see destinations like Victoria Falls & Cape Town. Contact us for the detailed itinerary and to book your spot on this very limited space safari!”

info@journeysworldwide.com.au

Phone +61 7 3221 4788 | +61 490 815 850 www.journeysworldwide.com.au Facebook | Instagram

Which Equity Release solution is right for you?!

With rising living costs and an increasing desire amongst baby boomers to take financial control of their retirement, there is a growing interest in Equity Release products to help fund financial goals.

Fortunately, there are several ways you can access the wealth accumulated in your home when you need it. The available options generally fall in to two categories – debt-based and debt-free strategies. A debt-based option is a loan product, where you borrow against the equity in your home. Repayments are not required, and instead the interest charged by the provider will be capitalised against the loan over time, adding interest to the loan amount you have borrowed. Such loans are not required to be repaid until you sell your home, or you pass away. Debt-based solutions come in different forms – you may borrow the funds via a reverse mortgage product offered by private providers or take up the loan scheme offered by the Government (previously referred to as the Pension Loan Scheme). The amounts available via a reverse mortgage and the Government loan scheme may be less than via a debt-free strategy and the interest rate charged will be higher than traditional home loan rates, given the nature of the debt. A debt-free option is not a loan, and as you don’t borrow money, there is no capitalising interest charges over time. Repayments don’t apply, and instead the entitlement of the provider is capped so you can protect a portion of the equity in your home into the future. You can also sell your home at any time, or the provider will receive their entitlement when you pass away, and your home is sold. Whichever option you may be considering, it is a big decision with lasting ramifications, and it is important that you make the right decision for your circumstances. Homesafe Wealth Release® is the popular debt free equity release solution for homeowners to access the wealth in their homes. Homesafe is not a reverse mortgage or a loan product and is specifically designed to provide protections for homeowners for the life of the arrangement. For over 17 years, Homesafe (in partnership with Bendigo & Adelaide Bank) has provided a tried and tested solution which has assisted thousands of homeowners by focusing on providing a safe and secure equity release option.

As the popular alternative, the Homesafe option is a part sale property contract, where a homeowner receives a lump sum cash amount today and in return agrees to sell a capped share of the future sale proceeds of the home. Homesafe will only receive its share of the sale proceeds, usually many years down the track, when the homeowner chooses to sell or after they pass away. A special and unique feature of the Homesafe Contract ensures if the homeowner sells earlier than anticipated, due to a unique feature, Homesafe will often receive less than the agreed capped share and the balance is returned to the Homeowner at time of sale.

John and Sandra

Wanting to avoid debt was the reason John and Sandra* approached Homesafe in March of this year. John had worked as an insurance assessor for many years before being made redundant during covid lockdowns. Given his age he has found it difficult to find another job. Sandra is still working part time to help pay the bills and they feel their levels of financial stress have risen dramatically over the last couple of years. When they saw the Homesafe advertisement on television, they started their own research into what equity release options may be able to assist them. Their home is very important to them, and they want to stay put as long as they can. When they investigated equity release solutions, it became very clear to them that they did not want to replace home loan debt with reverse mortgage debt, so Homesafe was their preferred option. When John and Sandra met with a Homesafe Specialist, in the privacy of their own home, they were pleased to discover they could use the equity in their home when they needed it the most – without the need to downsize just to pay off their debts. Many thousands of Homesafe customers have used the amount released with Homesafe to pay out loans, which in turn has removed the stress of being in debt and the freedom of no longer struggling to make loan payments one month to the next.

How can I make an enquiry with Homesafe?

The team at Homesafe offer personalised service by phone initially, and a no-obligation meeting with a Homesafe Mobile Specialist in the comfort of your home is organised to ensure you can receive all the information you – and your family – need to make an informed decision. For more information on how Homesafe^ has helped baby boomers to payout debt for over 17 years, contact Homesafe on 1300 307 059 or visit

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*Actual customer experience with names changed for privacy reasons. ^Terms, conditions, and eligibility criteria apply. Homesafe Wealth Release™ is available in 90% of eligible postcodes in Melbourne & Sydney.

Science. Compasion. Action.

There are people in our community who are struggling with their mental health. 1-in-5 of us will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year, in Australia that’s around 5 million people. And roughly 60% of these people won’t seek help.

A gift in your will can light the way to a mentally healthier future

"When you lose somebody, you want to give back; you want to do something about it. We didn't feel like we had the skills to do anything ourselves, so we were looking for an organisation that could do the work on our behalf. Black Dog Institute helps people recover from mental illness by developing programs to prevent suicide and helping to remove the stigma around mental illness. I would give anything to have my son here with us today, so on behalf of him, we want to try and help other people that may be in a similar situation."

Robyn, caring supporter and Luminary

Mental health issues surround us, but mainly go unnoticed. Black Dog Institute is undertaking ground-breaking research - leading the way through prevention and treatments, which needs our support. By leaving a portion of my estate to the Institute, I will be allowing their worthwhile work to continue into the future.”

Michael, caring supporter and Luminary

Including a gift in your will, gives the Institute the resources to invest in bigger, bolder, evidence-based research. After caring for loved ones, as little as 1% of a residual estate can make a difference to the future of mental health in Australia. You can read more information on writing a will or updating a will here

For more information please contact, Joan Cameron-Smith, Planned Giving Manager at

luminaries@blackdog.org.au

or (02) 9065 9014

Momentous occasion for little hero Theia

Before little Theia could even celebrate her first birthday, she was diagnosed with pleuropulmonary blastoma – a type of childhood lung cancer that forms in the tissues of the organ. Theia was admitted to her local hospital in Townsville where doctors removed part of her lung, before sending her to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane for further treatment. She underwent surgery to remove three quarters of her right lung, and nine rounds of chemotherapy, and at nineteen months old, she beat her cancer. During her time in hospital, Theia’s older brother, Karter, spent plenty of time in Kidzone – the dedicated playroom run by Children’s Hospital Foundation in Queensland Children’s Hospital – which gave both him and Carmela some respite from the hospital environment. While Theia is now in remission with no evidence of disease, she still requires scans every three months to ensure the cancer doesn’t return. At the end of her treatment, when Theia was given the all clear by doctors, she was able to mark the huge milestone by ringing the chemotherapy bell at Queensland Children’s Hospital.

I honestly don’t know what I would have done without Children’s Hospital Foundation - they were just amazing. From the Cuddle Carers who looked after Theia when I needed a moment to myself, to the iPads and digital loans they provide to Karter to keep him entertained. They were true lifesavers. Carmela, Theia’s Mum.

DONATE TODAY TO WORK WONDERS FOR SICK KIDS!

Your kindness will fund life-saving research, medical equipment, and provide support and entertainment for sick kids and their families.

childrens.org.au 1300 742 554